


On Love

by shamarmon



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-02 06:16:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8653948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shamarmon/pseuds/shamarmon
Summary: People don't fall in love in an instant, it happens over time. Feelings grow unnoticed until finally something happens and everything clicks. (Spoilers up until Episode 7)





	

Katsuki Yuuri had a crush on Victor Nikiforov. He supposed it started when he first saw Victor skate. 

It’s easy for him to remember the facts, like how Victor had just won the Junior Worlds with the highest score in history. It’s even easier for Yuuri to remember how he felt watching Victor. Yuuri’s heart fluttered in his chest as the young Russian danced effortlessly across the ice. It was a feeling that Yuuri found himself craving over and over again. He quickly found the only way to recreate this feeling was to throw himself into the crush wholeheartedly. 

Yuuri already loved to skate, but studying and reproducing Victor’s routines gave him a new passion for the sport and made him feel closer to his idol. He devoured any information about Victor that he could get his hands on, covering his room in posters of him. If Yuuri was called Victor’s number one fan because he had a poodle named Victor, then at least there was evidence to support the title. 

As Yuuri’s skating improved he slowly approached the world of Victor Nikiforov. The first time that Yuuri shared the ice with Victor was both the most and least magical moment of his life so far. To be so close to his lifelong crush was incredible, but nothing could ever pass between them other than physical proximity at a competition. Yuuri was content with gazing upon the greatness that was Victor Nikiforov in person. Yuuri wasn’t delusional, he wouldn’t get his hopes up for nothing.

* * *

Victor Nikiforov had a crush on Katsuki Yuri. He supposed it started when Yuuri accepted the terms of Hot Springs on Ice. 

Victor had seen Yuuri’s video and talked to him enough to know that he was both an incredibly talented skater and an incredibly dedicated fan. Neither of these things were particularly new to Victor, so he assumed that he knew what lie ahead of the two of them. As he was quickly learning, you can’t always assume with Katsuki Yuri. 

Yuri Plisetsky had been true to form with his demands, brash and bold and yelling about Victor coming back to Russia to be his coach. But Yuuri had surprised him with his declaration. “I want to eat pork cutlet bowls with you, Victor. I want to keep on winning, and keep on eating pork cutlet bowls!” Whose goal in life was to win so that they could eat pork cutlet bowls? And with him? Certainly no one he had ever met before. Now this was an intriguing answer from an intriguing person. Victor was beginning to rethink everything he knew about Yuuri. 

Later he thought about Yuuri’s declaration again and again. His eyes were filled with fire and inspiration and drive, which was what drew Victor to him in the first place. But more and more he found himself dwelling on Yuuri’s words, which almost seemed to mean, “I don’t want to win if I’m alone, if I’m not with you.” 

* * *

Yuuri had feelings for Victor. He could track this realization down to before he skated at the Hot Springs on Ice. 

“I’m going to become a super tasty pork cutlet bowl, so please watch me! Promise!” Yuuri had been repressing these feelings for so long, and now that Victor was in his arms he felt himself approaching a breaking point. He kept telling himself that he wouldn’t be delusional, that he wouldn’t put meaning behind the time they had spent together. He might even be leaving! Victor was suffocating him with his endless physical teasing and the only way Yuuri could stay afloat was to keep his imagination in check. He tried to focus on anything else: his routine was about being a femme fatale pork cutlet bowl that seduces a playboy.

“Of course. I love pork cutlet bowls.” With a snap Yuuri’s world fell into place. Now that Victor was actually and truly in his life, he craved him with every fiber of his being. Yuuri wanted Victor to stay not because he was an amazing coach or his childhood idol, but because he couldn’t be without him now. The more he got to know Victor as a person, the more he needed to monopolize him. This genuine acknowledgment from Victor allowed him to let these feelings out and Yuuri knew that there was no reigning them in now. Victor was saying much more than he meant to, that he loved watching what Yuuri was becoming. 

As Yuuri took his position on the rink, he calmed his mind. The realization of his new feelings for Victor solidified the story of his routine. He was still the same femme fatale pork cutlet bowl that seduces a playboy, but now he allowed himself to finally put a face on his target. He was dancing for Victor. 

* * *

Victor had feelings for Yuuri. He could track this realization down to Yuuri’s free skate at the Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu Championship.

Embracing Yuuri before he took the ice for his free skate felt like any other moment between the two of them. Victor was sincerely trying to do his best at coaching Yuuri by being firm or gentle as needed. Yuuri needed instruction to score as high as possible and encouragement to overcome his mental hurdles. 

The first time Yuuri changed a jump, surprise coursed through Victor’s veins. What was Yuuri thinking? Didn’t he listen to his coach? Maybe he wasn’t…. he was reverting the program to the three original quads. Victor tried to squash his disappointment and focus on Yuuri. Despite the mistakes, Victor found himself getting swept up into the music that Yuuri was creating. Less and less of his thoughts were analyzing the angles of Yuuri’s jumps, and he couldn’t look away from the brilliance that was Yuuri. He couldn’t think about coaching in the slightest. 

As Yuuri’s routine ended, Victor wondered only briefly about where Yuuri had learned this rebelliousness towards his coach. Of course it was from him. With a snap Victor’s world fell into place. He had been modeling his approach after his own coach’s, and he knew without a doubt that Yakov would have reprimanded Yuuri for not listening. But Victor knew he wouldn’t be doing that. He knew what he really wanted to do, which was embrace Yuuri for all of the reasons opposite from a few minutes ago. He needed to touch Yuuri and feel his heartbeat and breathe into his hair and revel in his presence. He couldn’t play a normal coach because Yuuri was no normal skater and Victor was too deep to turn back now. Victor was forging a new path that straddled coach and something else much more intimate. As Yuuri looked to him for a lecture, Victor knew he had to take the first step on this new path. And if the new path still included teasing Yuuri, it was only because he was so incredibly fun to tease. 

* * *

They were in love. And there could be no doubts that it happened during Yuuri’s free skate at the Cup of China. 

Victor was astonished at how well Yuuri was skating. He had again failed as a coach before the event. He tried to motivate Yuuri with his stepping down, but that backfired immediately. Victor then tried to just physically comfort him with a kiss, but that didn’t work either. Yuuri finally let him know what he needed, and Victor found himself at a loss for words.

“Just have more faith than I do that I’ll win! You don’t have to say anything. Just stand by me!” Victor wordlessly steered Yuuri to the rink and tried to digest what just happened. There was so much weight behind Yuuri’s words that Victor didn’t know if he’d ever learn just how much it meant to Yuuri. When Victor found himself being comforted by Yuuri before the program, he felt so useless. What kind of coach needed to be comforted by his skater? What kind of partner couldn’t help the other in a time of need? Victor watched Yuuri take the ice and was quickly astounded by how well the performance was going. Victor’s heart fluttered in his chest as the young skater danced effortlessly across the ice. Yuuri kept him on the edge with every jump, and before long the program was ending. 

Victor’s heart almost burst when Yuuri did his quadruple flip. There was so much meaning in those few seconds. That singular act spoke more words than Victor could bear. The jump said, “It’s alright, I forgive your shortcomings. I’m proud to be your student. I want people to see me and think of how amazing you are. I want to surprise you. I want to show these feelings to everyone in the world.” But most of all, to Victor the jump meant “I love you” in a language that the two of them knew by heart. 

Victor couldn’t even control his own body. He was running towards Yuuri, his Yuuri, and when he finally looked up and saw the most beautiful person in the whole world he knew exactly what he needed to do. As their lips touched, Victor knew he was returning the surprise and the message to Yuuri. 

* * *

Yuuri wanted the jump to mean so much to Victor, but he somehow just couldn’t bear to have it mean “I love you” on top of everything else. He couldn’t be in love with Victor because without Victor loving him back he would have been hollow. He couldn’t even bear to imagine what loving Victor would be like. Anytime he got close he would burn with such a desire that he was scared of himself and his thoughts. He had Victor in his life, and even that seemed too good to be true. He could surprise Victor, but he never dared to love him. 

Yuuri skated towards Victor at the end of his program, ready to see how well his coach received his routine and surprise. It wasn’t until he was laying on the ice with Victor on top of him and cradling his head that he began to process what had happened. Did Victor just kiss him? In front of everyone? 

“This was the only thing I could think of to surprise you more than you’ve surprised me.” Ah. Things were starting to make sense. Victor didn’t say “I love you” because he didn’t need to. He never needed to. They both said it with every look, every smile, and every touch, but just now they were starting to understand each other. Suddenly the prospect of loving Victor wasn’t suffocating, but being filled with lightning. It was still terrifying to him, but Yuuri knew he wasn’t alone and wouldn’t have to be any more. “Really?” Is this really happening? 

They were in love. And then “when” isn’t nearly as important as the “what now.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading :)
> 
> This idea was developed by rewatching the series with my sister Nicole and our in depth conversations about when each person realized their feelings.


End file.
